Signal strength queries

[Spooked]

Morning,

I have a VU+ solo2 connected to a sky LNB and dish.

The dish points at a bloomin great big house (which unfortunatley I cant move) and I cant really elevate the dish higher. It currently sits under the eaves and the property is a bungalow.

I currently get typically 40% for both strength and quality through a digital V8 sat finder.

Would a better LNB and or a larger dish improve the signal strength?

I have had a few problems with the channels the box receives since moving. Primarily Cbeebies. Its the only channel these days that we watch :)

I have updated the box to the newest image and will try and set up the epg and bouqets again. I am a complete novice at this stuff but am enjoying learning about it all.

Appreciate any advice and apologies if these questions are answered elsewhere!

[adm]

Is the building actually blocking the signal? I would be surprised that a proffesional installer would have positioned a dish in that location unless the large building was constructed afterwards.

My guess is that the dish has moved and is out of alignment. The dish should be pointing at a cluster of satellites for UK Freesat/Sky reception and if slightly out of alignment maybe just receiving reliable signals from one satellite.

Even though the dish may appear to be pointing at the building the signal will be coming in at an angle of approx 23 degrees.

If the signal is being blocked you may still have the option of installing the dish the other side of the property and receiving the signal over the appex of your roof.



http://www.wrightsaerials.tv/reference/dish-screened-by-roof.pdf


If the signal is being blocked then a change of dish or LNB is likely to make no difference if installed in the same place (assuming that the existing LNB is OK in the first place).


Go to www.dishpointer.com
1) In one of the boxes select the satellite which is "28.2E Astra E, Astra F, Astra G"
2) Put your postcode in the other box and press GO
3) On the map you get click on the green blob at the end of the green line and drag it to the location where your dish is positioned
4) In the corner of the map there should be a options tick box "Show obstacles line of sight checker"
5) This will put a red blob on the line which you can click on to move. This will show the height of the signal for which to get a for clear signal. Is the building lower than this value?

What is the state of the downlead from the LNB - has it been cut and joined with another piece of cable at any time?

[twol]

Excellent advice from @adm :)
Also depends when the sat dish was setup because 2G (cbeebies) was the last of the new Satellites to come into service (2015?)) and if setup on one of the original sats (2A) it could be off alignment.
Also if an old setup, could be worth changing the LNB and realigning.
The new sats usually have 2 beams (European) and for FTA channels like BBC a tight UK beam, so really should not be difficult to improve the signal.
I have some ***** big fir trees in front of my dish, but the beam still manages to reach the dish .... although with the neighbours help a little bit of chainsawing will happen in the near future:)

[Emulated]

I am still trying to figure out what expletive contains *****

[twol]

Depends on what I am doing at the time! Around here they love to have these small trees in their gardens, forgetting that within a few years you have an absolutely massive fir tree. .... which if it happens to come down on your property is your problem not theirs.

[Spooked]

Thanks guys. Appreciate your time.

The Luddite that put it up was me. I've found it all pretty frustrating to be honest.

Realised tonight that the lnb was incorrectly positioned which has helped. Getting a good picture.

Now all I need to sort out is all the missing channels in the epg and the fact that CBeebies although in the epg shows a no pat is Sid message or something...

But once again thanks for the help :)

[abu baniaz]

Cbeebies does not broadcast after 19:00. This is probably why you got that message.

[Spooked]

Ah! That could be it. I will have a look when I get in. Many thanks :)